A 2-month-old infant died after getting hit with a ceramic coffee mug that his infuriated father threw during an argument with his wife on Tuesday.
Anthony Benjamin Grove, of Canton, Ohio, was arrested after Zeeland Grove died from serious head injuries at Akron Children's Hospital on Tuesday morning, USA Today reported. The 33-year-old suspect has been charged with murder, child endangerment and domestic violence.
"It makes me feel so sad. A freak accident. They shouldn't have been fighting. It's just wild. Just sad," neighbor Dorothea Stoudemire told 19 Action News.
On Tuesday, Anthony allegedly became angry during an argument with his 34-year-old wife and threw a mug at her, apparently attempting to strike her. But instead the mug struck their son in the head, who, according to authorities, was in his mother's arms at the time of the incident.
"After the incident, the mother took the child to Streetsboro, where her mother lives," Canton Police Chief Bruce Lawver said. "That's where the ambulance was called."
At 2 a.m., hospital staffers subsequently alerted local police about serious head injuries sustained by the child, WOIO Cleveland reported. The boy was pronounced dead about 11:30 a.m.
"During the course of investigation, we made contact with Mr. Grove and brought him to police headquarters," Lawver told the Canton Repository.
"He left my house, threw a beer can and I blocked it. Then he went to his house and I guess he started arguing with his girl," resident Edwin Davies said. "He loved that baby. He was crazy about that baby. I can promise you that."
Although the cause of death has not yet been determined, an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office said.
Meanwhile Anthony, who was already wanted on an earlier theft charge, was being held at the Stark County Jail on Tuesday night. His bond was set at $2.1 million for the felony charges, and $10,000 for the domestic violence charge.
